Receptacles – Sectional – Folding
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-01
2001-09-11
Pollard, Steven (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Sectional
Folding
C220S001500, C220S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286701
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a container which is made of plastic and has been designed especially for the transportation of fruit and vegetables and comprises a container base and four side walls which fold onto it.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Containers of this nature are known where the side walls are either connected to the base of the container by way of joint hinges which are allocated at intervals across the circumference of the base or by way of one-piece integral hinges. In this way, after the container has been used, the side walls can be folded inwards towards the base, so that the empty container requires a minimum of space for the return journey and the storage. Compared with joint hinges, the integral hinges have the advantage that they can be easily cleaned and are also simple to manufacture. The joint hinges have the advantage that the side wails can be removed from the base, thus, unlike the one-piece integral hinge, enabling an exchange in the event of damage.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The task of the invention is to create a container out of plastic which enables a simple assembly of the side walls to the container base. The handling of the container should be furthermore enabled, especially during the collapsing and erecting procedure of the side walls and the container should guarantee stability when in the transportation position and when holding goods. The folding up of the container should also be accomplished quickly and easily without any great effort.
This task has been solved by the characteristics included in the typical part of claim
1
, whereby practical further developments of the characteristics included in the sub-claims are identified.
In accordance with the invention, the side walls are connected to the base by way of joint hinges, whereby the hinges are formed in the style of lockable connectors in which the formed hinge elements on the lower edge of the side walls are inserted into the corresponding insert openings on the sides of the base and can be locked behind latches or similar locking elements. It is thus practical that the locking elements, in connection with the hinge elements on the side walls, form the hinges or a part of the hinges. For functional reasons, the side walls are mounted vertically from above with the hinge elements set into the openings on the base, in doing so, the latches, which are preferably arranged opposite within the opening, move away and then catch behind the hinge pin, so that the side walls are firmly anchored to the base. The removal of the side walls is of course possible for practical reasons, whereby the latches are separately pushed backwards, if necessary with a tool. To improve the stability it is thus practical that at least one latch protrudes laterally from the hinge pin and acts like a shoulder with a stop formed within the insert opening, so that in the opened up position of the wall, an additional mechanical blockade is formed as a result of the immediate arrangement of the latch to the stop shoulder. This means that the folding container feels very stable when handling during transportation. A simple hinge design and structure arises as the latches and/or stop springs, which catch behind the hinge pin and lock it, are at the same time a part of the hinge support.
It is particularly practical for the collapsing that running flanges or beaded edges are provided on the base, which are arranged stepped corresponding to the thickness of the side wall, so that the side walls can be folded on top of each other. For practical purposes, the insert openings for the intake of the hinges are arranged in these edge flanges or beaded edges. These beaded edges also serve as stop shoulders for the side walls in their opened up state, for which they are provided with troughs in particular areas, against which the side walls, in an opened up state, are aligned by way of corresponding or complementary troughs, thus increasing the stability of the container in the opened up state. It is thus practical if projections are provided in the area of the edge flanges or the beaded edges as well as on the upper edge of the side walls, especially in the comer areas and also in the middle of the longer walls, which offers stacking advantages and, in connection with correspondingly formed base stacking slots, also prevents any other types of crate or container from being used in the stack. It is thus functional if the stop troughs are arranged/allocated in the edge flanges or beaded edges of the base in the area of these projections.
It is furthermore advantageous that the side walls and the base are formed by sectioned cross members which are allocated at intervals and are formed in such a way that the inside of the container has an even, smooth wall surface, however the outside of the container has a ribbed structure.
Locking elements are provided on at least two of the opposing side walls for the transportation of the container in its folded position. These elements can be unlocked by a simple pressing action and are especially situated in the two upper corner areas of the short side walls, which in a locking position catch in the respective locking shoulders of the other side walls and are as such arranged/formed so that the first inwardly folding side walls will fold inwards simultaneously when the locking elements are released, therefore requiring only one operation for the unlocking and the inward folding of the side walls. For functional purposes, these locking elements are formed in the style of handle elements with a hook-type locking ledge whereby the handle element is hinged for practical reasons at two points relating to the side walls, so that these joint points tilt and a release of the locking is ensured when the handle element is pressed. When the handle element is pressed, the corresponding side wall also folds in towards the base of the container at the same time as the locking is released.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4320845 (1982-03-01), Waller
patent: 4917255 (1990-04-01), Foy et al.
patent: 5467885 (1995-11-01), Blinstrub
patent: 5797508 (1998-08-01), Loftus et al.
patent: 5829617 (1998-11-01), Umiker
patent: 6098827 (2000-08-01), Overholt et al.
Pollard Steven
Schoeller Plast SA
Sheridan Ross PC
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